My baby not walking independently at 16.5 months...

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My daughter stands very confidently, cruises around furniture, can take steps with support and happily pushes things along — but she just refuses to do it independently except for the occasional few seconds here and there. She’s been at this stage for about a month now.

Has anyone else had a baby like this? What were they doing right before they finally started walking? And if they were later walkers, did they suddenly start walking confidently straight away?

I watch her and genuinely think she physically can walk, but it’s almost like she just doesn’t want to take the risk or let go properly yet

My DS took his 1st steps at 14 months but was not confident at all and would only walk a few steps by himself. Coming up to him being 15 months we got him walking holding just one hand of ours. After I think 3-4 days of this he found his confidence and was off. He also was very confident and sturdy walking from the get go once he found his confidence!

At about 14 mths my DD walked the length of my sister’s garden( 100ft+) sat down and then didn’t walk again until she was two. I think her attitude was - done that- no big deal not going to bother again. Now as an adult she is always walking or hiking. Children walk when they are ready which reminds me how I used to tempt my other DD to walk by holding out peanut butter sandwiches. 😂😂

Mine didn't walk til 20 months. Took her to specialists. they all said she's capable but she just doesn't want to. She knee walked from 12 months. Then one day at the beach she just stood up and walked off to the ice cream shop. no toddling phase just walked straight off. she's four now and you'd never know.

Her little sister walked at 12 months but toddled for like 2 months taking a couple of steps before she properly walked.

They do it in their own time and 12-18 months is considered average.

My DD after spending 16 months sitting on her bum stood up and walked across the living room to go and get a bauble off the Christmas tree. No wobbling no cruising no bum shuffling - she just stood up and walked.

My elder DD was walking at 10mo!

They are all different.

That is very interesting to hear!

I crawled at 6 months and was so fast that I didn't walk until I was 17 months!

DS1 didn't crawl until he was 13 months and didn't walk until he was 18 months.

DS2 crawled at 8 months but didn't walk until he was 19 months.

Every baby is different. My sons are now in their 20s and both walk perfectly fine!

My ds was like this. Didn't want to slow himself down by walking!

Mine both walked at 15 and 17 months. Nothing wrong with them. It just took them longer as they were busy doing other things. Actually the longer they crawl, the better it is for brain development because crawling builds neural pathways. My one who walked at 17 months began crawling at 5.5 months. He literally crawled for 12 full months before he started walking. He’s very good at maths! Actually, they are both very strong academically and the one who walked at 15 months is a teen now competing nationally in a sport, so very athletic as well.

They didn’t really do anything special before walking, other than just the usual cruising and standing up independently. Best thing you can do is not to force it or try to push them along. One day they’ll just stand up and walk.

Have you tried the object in each hand trick? Helped my DS with his confidence at that stage as he had more balance and control

16 months is not a late walker. You are worrying over absolutely nothing, walking will happen, when it happens. Try to just enjoy the stage they're at, it all goes FAR too quickly!

if you simply cannot resist the urge, just hold one hand to give some stability & confidence.

My boy didn’t crawl properly until he was nearly one, stood and cruised relatively quickly after but didn’t walk independently until 17 months, he’s now 2.5 and according to nursery the fastest one in his room, he’s like a little lightening bolt 😂 meanwhile my 10 month old girl is already a speedy crawler and trying desperately to stand up, they’re all just different! Given that your little girl can take steps with support it’s probably just a confidence thing, she’ll do it when she’s ready!

My DS was like this, didn't walk till he could run! My DD on the other hand, was a potato baby and didn't walk till 18 months because she preferred to be carried

Yes! My DD didn’t walk until 21 months. I wasn’t worried and just wanted to relish her baby years. She had brilliant fine motor skills and was reciting the alphabet song and counting to 20, just not walking. I think they focus their development on different things. One of the members of staff at the nursery she attends held out her hands to her one day and she just got up and toddled over

Very normal in my experience. My som walked at 15.5 months and fell over all the time. My daughter walked holding our hands from around 15 months but didn’t walk independently until she was 17 months. But when she walked she never fell over! Guess who is the more cautious personality now (aged 18 and 20)?!

I work in a nursery and there is quite a wide range. We have one who is walking now at 10 months and one who just started walking at 20 months. So long as they are following the expected steps such as cruising and standing (ie no physical problem) there is nothing to worry about at the moment. They’ll do it when they’re ready.

I had a relatively 'late' walker at almost 16 months. Had been cruising and standing with support since 8.5 months but never once stood independently or stood himself up unaided... Then he just set off one evening, confident as anything and somehow knew how to stand/walk and get up to stand without pulling up in one go.

My daughter walked at quite a young age and spent a while being very unsteady and falling often. My friend’s daughter suddenly stood up and started walking at 18 months and made it look like she had always been able to walk.
It was so interesting to see.

My DD didn't walk until she was 19 month's. There was nothing physically wrong with her she just didnt want to 🤣 she was a late crawler too. She was visibly a bit wobblier than her peers for a while, they had had quite a bit more practice! She's just turned 3 now and you wouldn't be able to tell.

I did a lot of fretting about it at the time and wish I had relaxed about it. But that's very easy to say in hindsight!

You’re fine - my son was exactly the same! Eventually they let go. 😊

My son stood very strongly on my knees at three months, crawled before six, then started 'walking' on his knees....until he was bloody 19 months old! He had to be carried up and down stairs at nursery as they wouldn't let him negotiate them by himself (understandable, though we did at home). Tbh he was quicker on his knees than his peers were on their feet. It was a massive pain though, as we knew there was nothing wrong with him in the physical sense. We had plenty of patience, though when his sister was born when he was 17 months old, after I'd had a c section, it started to get even more of a pain! Eventually, at 19 months and after much encouragement/cajoling, he finally got on his feet, walked between me and my husband who were sat about 12 feet away from each other, and never looked back. Seriously, by the next day, you couldn't tell he'd only been walking for 24 hours. Hang on in there xx

Both mine were 16/17 months. But once they did it, they were perfect walkers. Non of this bumping around for months like I did when I started walking (younger than that) Don’t stress. easy for me to say as I did with both mine but they’re both fully functioning kids now

My baby had been cruising/holding walking on for about four months before she walked. Guess she wanted to make sure she had it nailed before she went off by herself.

I know it's so hard to not worry/to be patient, but it sounds like he's basically there.

My 2nd DD was a late walker at 18mths.Plenty of cruising and took a handful of steps afew months earlier, but did not properly walk til then.

My youngest walked at 20 months. I was never worried, she was a very fast crawler. She could pull herself up. She could walk if you held her but very reluctantly and screaming her head off. Nursery were very concerned due to the crying so I ended up taking her to the GP but I was also confident that she had it in her but didn’t want to. She was assessed by a paediatrician and then referred to physio. She walked independently the day before the physio appointment 😂. They discharged her on the day they saw us.

she is now 27 months still hates walking. Still alternates between crawling and walking.